batavia

A one-car accident is reported at South Spruce and Main streets in the city of Batavia. The vehicle struck a tree and is within 15 feet of a residence. City firefighters are responding along with Mercy medics. Batavia PD are on scene to help with traffic control.

UPDATE 11:20 p.m. (by Howard): Police say the driver of the car was eastbound on East Main Street when for an unknown reason, her car left the roadway and struck the curb and then drove across the front lawn of 534 E. Main St., and through the side yard on the east side of the house. The car went through the back yard and then turned northbound in the side yard on the South Spruce-side of the house. It then struck a tree and caught on fire. Both occupants were out of the car when police arrived. The driver was transported to UMMC with complaints of neck and back pain. The male passenger was unhurt. Nobody else was hurt. Police say the investigation is continuing and it's unknown if drugs or alcohol were a factor.

Top photo: Sparks and water fly as city firefighters use a radial saw to cut the hood off the car.  Second photo: Firefighters inspect the engine compartment after removing the hood. Third photo: A bike with a bent front tire that police said was ejected from the trunk of the car when the car struck the tree.

A disabled container truck is completely blocking the northbound lane of Oak Street south of Richmond Avenue. It is also straddling the center line and partially blocking the southbound lane. Batavia PD is responding.

Press release:

A water main break occurred on Elm Street near Chase Park at approximately 7:30 a.m.  Crews are on site to begin repairs, and water service has been interrupted on Elm Street between East Avenue and Chase Park, and on Chase Park between Elm Street and Vine Street.

Residents in the immediate area may experience periods of discolored water as a result of this break, and should avoid activities such as laundry until water clarity returns to normal.

UPDATE 12:23 p.m.: Break repaired. Service restored.

Martha D. Duke, 63, of Mt. Hope Avenue, Rochester, is charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs. Duke was allegedly observed by witnesses driving westbound in the eastbound lane of the I-490. She was also allegedly observed driving on the shoulder of Route 33, westbound toward Batavia, at 25 mph. Deputy Chris Parker stopped her vehicle in the City of Batavia. The investigation is ongoing and additional charges are possible in Genesee and Monroe counties.

Dennis A. Edson, 49, of 17 Porter Ave., Batavia, is charged with aggravated harassment (physical contact due to race/religion). Edson is accused threatened a passing male using racial slurs. The alleged incident was reported at 12:10 p.m. Tuesday.

Gloria S. Moretti, 36, of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt. Moretti was arrested by State Police in the Town of Pembroke. No further details released.

Chase M. Knight, 23, of Tonawanda, is charged DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Knight was stopped by State Police in the Town of Pembroke at 11:57 p.m. Sunday.

Two people were killed and three seriously injured in Wheatland today when the SUV they were in collided with a tractor-trailer at North Road and Riga Mumford Road.

The five people were returning home in a 1995 Jeep Wrangler after working as volunteers at a camp in Batavia for children with special needs.

The two people who died are identified by the Monroe County Sheriff's Office as Taylor Binnert, 21, and Christopher Peterson, 20.

The three rear seat passengers were seriously injured and transported to Strong. They are Emily Peterson, 17, Michaela Murphy, 17, and Joanne Krutchen, 20.

For more on this developing story, visit WHAM13.com.

CORRECTION: The information provided by the Monroe County Sheriff's Office was incorrect in one regard. The individuals involved were volunteers at a BOCES summer school program, not a camp.

Three golf carts at Meadow Brook Golf Course, 4022 S. Main Street Road, Batavia, along with a portion of the golf course were damaged sometime around 3 a.m., July 10 and the Sheriff's Office is looking for leads that might help identify the culprits.

Two golf carts were driven into ponds and one was overturned on the course.

There was damage caused to the course by the reckless operation of the carts.

If you have information to share about the incident, contact John Dehm at the Sheriff's Office, 345-3000, ext. 3575.

Photo and infomration submitted by Jim Fazio:

The Batavia 16-year-old Sr. League baseball team defeated Dansville in a double-header by scores of 10-5 and 10-0 to capture the District 3 championship and will face the District 2 champion this Saturday in Cuba , NY, at 3 p.m. The winner of this round will advance to Long Island the following weekend.

Team members include front row: James Fazio, Luke McComb, Tommy Demmer, Tyler Hale, Cameron Slaven, and Manager Jim Fazio.

Second row: Coach Dan McComb, Zeke Lynn, Joe Saraceni, Frank Bellucci, and Ryan Mullen. Back row Coach Dave Demmer, Zach Gayton, and Jacob Hale. Missing from photo is Nate Cornell.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Tuesday 7/16

• 9am - 4-H Swine Show
• 12 pm -  4-H Goat Show
• 2:30 pm - 4-H Sheep Show
• 6 pm - 4-H Beef Show
• 6:30 pm - "Genesee's Got Talent" -Talent Show

• 4 - 8pm -  Mr. Scribbles and various children events
• 5 - 10pm - Rides by Mainevent Amusements
• 5 pm - Classic car show
• 6:30 pm - Grand Parade in the fairgrounds
• 7 pm - Karaoke
• 8 - 11pm - Barnstorm Band

• 5 - 10pm - Rides by Mainevent Amusements
• 6 pm - Raceway 5 Stock Car Racing
• 7 pm - 4-H Livestock Auction
• 8 pm - Patrick Johnson - Elvis impersonator
• 8 pm - Karaoke Finals

• 5 - 10pm - Rides by Mainevent Amusements
• 7 pm - Genesee County Fair Queen and Princess Pageant
• 7 pm - Demolition Derby
• 8 pm - Julie Dunlap Band

• 11 am - Farm Stock Tractor Pull - Bring your tractor
• 1 pm - 10pm Rides by Mainevent Amusements
• 4 pm - WNY Garden Tractor Pull
• 6 pm - WNY Pro Farm Tractor and Truck Pull
• 8 pm - Monster Johnson Band

For more information, please visit us online at: http://gcfair.com

About 20 minutes ago, an elderly female driving a black sedan was reported to be headed eastbound on westbound I-490 around the time she passed the Bergen exit. Genesee County Emergency Dispatch Center notified Monroe County law enforcement. Then it was reported that she turned around and starting heading in the correct direction, exited and got on Route 33.

A caller reported that this car was going slow -- 25 mph -- and was partially driving on the shoulder and was otherwise "all over the roadway." Sheriff's deputies located her and are speaking with her now.

Avery Romero added two more notches to his league-leading RBI total Monday night, but it wasn't enough to overcome some erratic pitching as the Muckdogs dropped to 13-14 with a 8-4 loss to the Tri-City Wildcats.

Romero is the best hitting player in the league so far, with a .361 average, 35 hits, 18 RBI, 10 doubles and 51 total bases (all league-leading stats), but the Wildcats are so far the best team in the NYPL with a record of 20-9.

Drafted in the third round of last year's amatuer draft, Romero is considered one of the Marlin's top 15 prospects.

After falling behind 3-0 in the second inning on back-to-back home runs by on Jon Kemmer and Thomas Lindauer, the eight and nine hitters in the line up, Batavia battled back in the fourth on consecutive doubles by Austin Dean, Felix Munoz and Romero followed by a single driving in Romero by Coco Johnson.

The rally was snuffed when Johnson tried to stretch his single into a double (top photo) and was called out on a close play at second by umpire Joe George. George's raised thumb brought manager Angel Espada charging over from the third base coaching, yelling a string of expletives. The call didn't change, but Espada was out of the game.

The Muckdogs took a 4-3 lead in the fifth, but Casey McCarthy (2-2) couldn't hold the lead and was charged with a blown save and took the loss, giving up three runs in the 7th to move his ERA to 6.00.

The starter for Batavia was Jarlin Garcia, who gave up three runs in five innings of work.

The attendance was 1,100. Next home game is at 7:05 p.m. June 23 against the Jamestown Jammers.

It was Mormon Night and former Cy Young winner Vern Law threw out the first pitch, a Mormon choir sang the National Anthemn, a Native American dancer was featured and white-shirted missionaries tossed prizes to the crowd.

Willie J. Thomas, 37, of 5 Raymond Ave., Batavia, and Maurice G. Leach, 37, of 212 State St., Batavia, are charged with unnecessary/unreasonable noise under the Batavia Municipal Code, Section 120-3(1). Thomas and Leach were allegedly disturbing the neighborhood on State Street at 10:20 p.m. Saturday by yelling.

Kenneth M. Gray Jr., 21, of 77 Myrtle St., Le Roy, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Gray was arrested at 2:22 p.m. Sunday at 112 W. Main St., Batavia, by Sgt. Jason Davis. No further details released.

Brian R. Orbaker, 40, of 14 Oak St., #2, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Orbaker is accused of punching another person in the face while they passed each other on bicycles in the area of 1 W. Main St., Batavia, at 10:05 p.m. Friday.

Miguel Angel Dejesus, 66, of Perry Road, Pavilion, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Dejesus is accused of hitting a woman in the face with a trash can lid and threatening her with a machete.

Previously, we published a press release from GCEDC that announced an expansion for Premiere Credit. Here is a press release from Premiere Credit with more information.

Premiere Credit of North America, LLC, a leading national accounts receivable management company headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., announced today the addition of 50 jobs to its Batavia call center operation on Mill Street.

Premiere Credit will be hiring managers and collection cpecialists. Interested applicants can apply online at www.premierecredit.com and click on the Employment tab. These are solid jobs with good benefits and great earning potential for top performers.

“Premiere Credit opened an office in Batavia 17 months ago and we have been so impressed with the workforce in this location. We are excited to have the opportunity to expand our business here,” said President and CEO Rob Meck. “I am also proud to be part of a team that so willingly gives of their time and resources to this community through their involvement in local charities.”

“Premiere Credit’s expansion of its Batavia office is a testament to a high quality, productive and home-grown workforce,” said Steve Hyde, president and CEO of the Genesee County Economic Development Center. “This announcement builds on the positive economic development continuing to gain traction in Batavia and throughout the county.”

The Mill Street location started with 50 employees in March 2012 and will employ nearly 200 people after this expansion is complete.

Press release:

The Board of Directors of the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) reviewed and approved four items at the organization’s July 11 board meeting. The projects would create approximately 60 new jobs, including 50 new jobs at Premiere Credit in downtown Batavia while retaining approximately 50 jobs at Leroy Plastics.

The board also approved the sale of 10 acres of land to Alpina for a future use as yet not unveiled by the company. Alpina has already surpassed its commitment to create 50 new jobs to receive benefits from the GCEDC as 55 new jobs have already been created.

Le Roy Plastics received approval for a $100,000 loan fund from the GCEDC in order to purchase a building at 59 Lake St. in Le Roy. The company is seeking to consolidate its processes from current facilities located at 15 Lent Ave. and 7835 E. Main St. The loan would have a term of seven years.

Premiere Credit, which opened operations in the city of Batavia in 2012, received a sales tax exemption of approximately $26,000 in return for an investment of $325,000 to expand the footprint of the company’s existing call center at 1 Mill St. The expansion will create an additional 50 new employees for a total workforce of 135.

Imagination Industries is constructing a 7,015-square-foot facility at 8240 Buffalo Road in the Town of Bergen. The multiuse facility will house an indoor firing range, training center, gunsmith services and a laser engraving business. The company is investing nearly $400,000 and will create 10 new jobs. 

Since this is a retail business, a public hearing was conducted on July 9 for community feedback to the project as part of the passage of new state legislation to determine if the project makes available services which would not be, but for the project, reasonably accessible to residents of the municipality where the project is located. After it was determined that the project fulfilled the new criteria, Imagination Industries received approval for sales tax and mortgage tax exemptions and a property tax abatement.

“These are all very high-quality projects that we believe will have a positive economic impact in the region,” said Steve Hyde, president and CEO of the GCEDC. “While the main function of our organization is to create new jobs, it’s also important to remember that we are here to help existing companies such as Le Roy Plastics retain jobs and keep them here for the long term.”

An alleged burglar who was originally indicted just as a John Doe based on a DNA profile from a crime scene, has been charged with another residential theft.

Samual G. Malone, 28, of 36 Walnut St., Batavia, was taken into custody during his appearance in Genesee County Court on his prior charges.

Malone was first arrested in April after a DNA profile from a crime scene was reportedly matched with his DNA. A grand jury had previously indicted the DNA profile on a set of burglary charges because the suspect had not yet been identified but the statute of limitations to file charges was running out.

Today, Batavia PD detectives took Malone into custody on an accusation that on Aug. 27, 2008 Malone entered an occupied dwelling by a side window and stole pieces of a drum set, including the bass drum, a snare and five cymbals.

Following processing on the new charge of burglary, 2nd, Malone was released from custody under the terms of his prior bail arrangment.

A man on a stolen motorcycle that led local law enforcement on a high-speed chase through the City of Batavia and the Village of Le Roy yesterday got away.

A witness in Avon apparently saw the rider get off the red Honda bike and get into a green car and leave.

"The odd thing is, he took the time to put the kick stand down," said Chief Deputy Gordon Dibble, Sheriff's Office.

Dibble said it's likely the rider phoned a friend to pick him up in Avon.

There's no description available of the suspect, other than he's allegedly a black male.

The chase started on Route 5 at Kelsey Road, on the west side of Batavia, where a deputy was positioned on routine traffic patrol when the bike sped past, Dibble said.

City PD joined the pursuit when it came down Main Street.

Dibble said officers were aware the Oatka Festival was taking place in Le Roy and backed off as they approached the village.

The chase came through Le Roy about 5:45 p.m. and the crowd was dispersing from the Duck Derby, which had just ended. The derby had gotten a late start because of technical difficulties.

Witnesses praised the work of Le Roy PD patrolman Daryl Robb, who was handling traffic control at the intersection of Wolcott and Main streets.

Robb cleared the intersection of pedestrians and kept everybody away from the street as the motorcycle sped through village.

"We saw the kid crest the hill in an instant and fly down Main Street at a conservative 95 an hour," said Le Roy resident Bud Prevost. "Several City of Batavia police cars and two Sheriff's cars were in hot in pursuit. It was a very dangerous situation when you had several hundred people milling around that intersection.

"Kudos to this young man," Prevost added. "He took control, as a good officer should, and made a lasting impression on me."

When the plate of the motorcycle was first called it, the dispatch centered received a teletype indicating the bike had been connected to felony crime. That information turned out to be inaccurate, but the motorcycle had been reported stolen out of Rochester.

"This wasn't a situation like we typically get where a motorcycle is involved in a high-speed chase and then the owner calls later and reports it stolen," Dibble said. "It was reported stolen before the chase."

Brandon Michael Maldonado, 24, of Strennma Road, Largo, Fla., was arrested on bench warrants for criminal possession of a forged instrument, 2nd, and criminal possession of stolen property, 5th. Maldonado was arrested at a relative's residence in Florida and returned to Genesee County. Maldonado was sentenced on his prior convictions in County Court and sent to state prison.

Rodney Blackshear, 53, of 2 Lewis Place, Batavia, is charged with disorderly conduct (obscene language/gestures). Blackshear was allegedly using obscene language and gestures during an incident at 6:54 p.m. Wednesday on Lewis Place, Batavia, in front of children and adults.

Wayne D. Potter, 29, no address, is charged with assault, 3rd, unlawful imprisonment, 2nd, and endangering the welfare of a child. The charges stem form an alleged domestic incident on June 24. Potter was jailed on $10,000 bail.

Joel Hernandez-Zempoaltecati, 30, of Washington Street, Albion, is charged with felony DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, felony aggravated unlicensed operation, driving without interlock device and failure to keep right. Hernandez-Zempoaltecati was stopped at 3:16 a.m. Sunday on Oak Street, Batavia, by Deputy Patrick Reeves.

Lori L. Mullen, 46, of Watson Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Mullen is accused of shoplifting at Kmart. Upon exiting the store, Mullen reportedly tried to elude security officers on motorized wheelchair and discarded the allegedly stolen items in the parking lot.

Joshua D. Ricter, 32, of Niagara Falls Boulevard, Niagara Falls, is charged with criminal mischief. Richter allegedly damaged a laser radar unit while in Kmart.

Nicholas Calvin Klippel, 29, of Walden Creek, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, leaving the scene of a property damage accident, consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle and failure to keep right. Deputy Chad Minuto responded to a report at 3:17 a.m. Saturday on North Road, Le Roy, of a suspicious vehicle in the area. Upon investigation, he found an abandoned vehicle in an area of thick brush a short distance off the road. Klippel was located a short time later in the parking lot of his residence in Batavia by Batavia PD. Upon investigation, it's believed Klippel was driving the vehicle at the time he went off the roadway in Le Roy.

Katie Lee Winnie, 19, of Exchange Street, Attica, is charged with petit larceny and unlawful possession of marijuana. Winnie allegedly stole $188.31 in merchandise from Walmart.

Tate Nicholas Westmeier, 21, of Church Road, Darien Center, is charged with petit larceny. Westmeier allegedly stole $188.31 in merchandise from Walmart.

Arginia Elizabeth Jones, 19, of Whitney Place, Buffalo, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and failure to stop for stop sign. Jones was stopped at 2:19 a.m. Saturday on Alleghany Road, Darien, by Deputy Joseph Corona.

Benjamin J. Townsend, 25, of Clarence, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Townsend was stopped by State Police at 10:30 p.m. Friday on Colby Road, Darien.

Tom Rivers, editor of the online-only site to the north of us, Orleans Hub, was in Batavia today for Dan Kennedy's appearance at Present Tense Books.

Kennedy is author of "The Wired City," a book about the future of journalism that includes a section about the news business in Batavia.

Rivers spoke with Kennedy and shares some of the things he learned.

Nancy Jo Rademacker has a joy for teaching yoga that is no more evident than when she teaches one of her regular classes for young children at her new studio in City Centre.

More than 13 years ago, Rademacker reached out to BOCES to see if it offered yoga classes. They didn't, so she offered her services. That was her first job teaching yoga and it's been her passion ever since.

She said it's her "inner calling" and why she also decided to open Maya Yoga Studio across from Sunny's Restaurant in the mall.

The studio is named after her 11-year-old daughter, who also practices yoga.

“Yoga is a way to take care of yourself positively," Rademacker said. "It focuses on the whole of who you are -- physical, emotional and spiritual."

All classes are taught by her. She recently completed an advanced yoga training degree through the Kripalu School of Yoga and Health. The studio space is newly renovated and it is warm, comfortable and inviting. Classes are taught in low lighting with peaceful music playing softly in the background.

The classes that are offered range from gentle yoga for the beginner, to vigorous yoga for the experienced. There are several classes in between, as well as specialty classes, such as prenatal yoga, chair yoga and meditation classes.

There is even lunchtime yoga, which allows you to drop in for a few minutes or spend the whole hour. For some classes, drop-ins are welcome, while the more specialized classes require advance registration.

For more information visit the Web site at http://www.yogawithnancyjo.com/ or call 716-913-9616.

Yet another fight involving juveniles is reported in Austin Park. Police are on scene.

A group of youths are reportedly fighting on the east side of Austin Park. Not clear if this is related to the earlier calls, but the police were called there a minute ago and are on scene.

UPDATE 3:24 p.m.: A responding officer cleared the scene.